1Slova svolavatele, syna Dávidova, krále v Jerúsalémě: 2Marnost marností, řekl svolavatel, marnost marností, to vše je marnost. 3Co za užitek je pro člověka ve vší jeho lopotě, jíž se pod sluncem lopotí? 4Pokolení odchází a pokolení přichází, a země navždy trvá; 5a slunce vzchází a slunce zachází a řítí se k svému místu; odtamtud ono vzchází. 6Vítr jde k jihu a obrací se k severu, stále se obrací a k svým obratům se vítr vrací. 7Všechny toky odcházejí k moři, ale moře - ono není plné; ke kterému místu toky odcházejí, odtamtud se ony k odcházení vracejí. 8Všechny věci jsou únavné, to nikdo nemůže vypovědět; oko se nemůže nasytit hleděním, aniž se ucho může naplnit posloucháním. 9Co je, je to, co bude, a co je učiněno, je to, co se bude činit, takže pod sluncem není nic nového. 10Je věc, o níž se může říci: Viz toto, to je nové? Bylo to již po věky, jež byly od dob před námi; 11není vzpomínky na věci dřívější a ani na potomní, jež budou - nebude na ně vzpomínky u těch, kteří budou napotom. 12Já, svolavatel, jsem byl v Jerúsalémě králem nad Isráélem 13a přiložil jsem své srdce ke zpytování a k pátrání v moudrosti stran všeho toho, co je uskutečněno pod nebesy - bídná plahočina, již Bůh dal dětem člověka k plahočení v ní. 14Pozoroval jsem všechny skutky, jež se pod sluncem uskutečňují, a hle - to vše je marnost a honění větru; 15zkřivené se nemůže stát rovným a nedostatek se nemůže vyčíslit. 16Jal jsem se já se svým srdcem rozmlouvat výrokem: Já jsem se, hle, stal velikým a přibral jsem si moudrosti nade všechny, co jich bylo nad Jerúsalémem přede mnou a mé srdce dosáhlo mnoha moudrosti a poznání. 17Přiložil jsem tedy své srdce k poznávání moudrosti a poznávání nesmyslu a potrhlosti; poznal jsem, že i toto, i to je honění větru, 18neboť v množství moudrosti je množství trápení a přibírající poznání přibírá bolesti.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 INTRODUCTION. (Ecc. 1:1-18)
the Preacher--and Convener of assemblies for the purpose. See my Preface. Koheleth in Hebrew, a symbolical name for Solomon, and of Heavenly Wisdom speaking through and identified with him.
Eccl 1:12 shows that "king of Jerusalem" is in apposition, not with "David," but "Preacher."
of Jerusalem--rather, "in Jerusalem," for it was merely his metropolis, not his whole kingdom.
2 The theme proposed of the first part of his discourse.
Vanity of vanities--Hebraism for the most utter vanity. So "holy of holies" (
Exod 26:33); "servant of servants" (
Gen 9:25). The repetition increases the force.
all--Hebrew, "the all"; all without exception, namely, earthly things.
vanity--not in themselves, for God maketh nothing in vain (
1Tim 4:4-5), but vain when put in the place of God and made the end, instead of the means (
Ps 39:5-
Ps 39:6;
Ps 62:9;
Matt 6:33); vain, also, because of the "vanity" to which they are "subjected" by the fall (
Rom 8:20).
3 What profit . . . labour--that is, "What profit" as to the chief good (
Matt 16:26). Labor is profitable in its proper place (
Gen 2:15;
Gen 3:19;
Pro 14:23).
under the sun--that is, in this life, as opposed to the future world. The phrase often recurs, but only in Ecclesiastes.
4 earth . . . for ever-- (
Ps 104:5). While the earth remains the same, the generations of men are ever changing; what lasting profit, then, can there be from the toils of one whose sojourn on earth, as an individual, is so brief? The "for ever" is comparative, not absolute (
Ps 102:26).
5 (
Ps 19:5-
Ps 19:6). "Panting" as the Hebrew for "hasteth"; metaphor, from a runner (
Ps 19:5, "a strong man") in a "race." It applies rather to the rising sun, which seems laboriously to mount up to the meridian, than to the setting sun; the accents too favor MAURER, "And (that too, returning) to his place, where panting he riseth."
6 according to his circuits--that is, it returns afresh to its former circuits, however many be its previous veerings about. The north and south winds are the two prevailing winds in Palestine and Egypt.
7 By subterraneous cavities, and by evaporation forming rain clouds, the fountains and rivers are supplied from the sea, into which they then flow back. The connection is: Individual men are continually changing, while the succession of the race continues; just as the sun, wind, and rivers are ever shifting about, while the cycle in which they move is invariable; they return to the point whence they set out. Hence is man, as in these objects of nature which are his analogue, with all the seeming changes "there is no new thing" (
Eccl 1:9).
8 MAURER translates, "All words are wearied out," that is, are inadequate, as also, "man cannot express" all the things in the world which undergo this ceaseless, changeless cycle of vicissitudes: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing them," &c. But it is plainly a return to the idea (
Eccl 1:3) as to man's "labor," which is only wearisome and profitless; "no new" good can accrue from it (
Eccl 1:9); for as the sun, &c., so man's laborious works move in a changeless cycle. The eye and ear are two of the taskmasters for which man toils. But these are never "satisfied" (
Eccl 6:7;
Pro 27:20). Nor can they be so hereafter, for there will be nothing "new." Not so the chief good, Jesus Christ (
John 4:13-
John 4:14;
Rev 21:5).
9 Rather, "no new thing at all"; as in
Num 11:6. This is not meant in a general sense; but there is no new source of happiness (the subject in question) which can be devised; the same round of petty pleasures, cares, business, study, wars, &c., being repeated over and over again [HOLDEN].
10 old time--Hebrew, "ages."
which was--The Hebrew plural cannot be joined to the verb singular. Therefore translate: "It hath been in the ages before; certainly it hath been before us" [HOLDEN]. Or, as MAURER: "That which has been (done) before us (in our presence,
1Chr 16:33), has been (done) already in the old times."
11 The reason why some things are thought "new," which are not really so, is the imperfect record that exists of preceding ages among their successors.
those that . . . come after--that is, those that live still later than the "things, rather the persons or generations,
Eccl 1:4, with which this verse is connected, the six intermediate verses being merely illustrations of
Eccl 1:4 [WEISS], that are to come" (
Eccl 2:16;
Eccl 9:5).
12 Resumption of
Eccl 1:1, the intermediate verses being the introductory statement of his thesis. Therefore, "the Preacher" (Koheleth) is repeated.
was king--instead of "am," because he is about to give the results of his past experience during his long reign.
in Jerusalem--specified, as opposed to David, who reigned both in Hebron and Jerusalem; whereas Solomon reigned only in Jerusalem. "King of Israel in Jerusalem," implies that he reigned over Israel and Judah combined; whereas David, at Hebron, reigned only over Judah, and not, until he was settled in Jerusalem, over both Israel and Judah.
13 this sore travail--namely, that of "searching out all things done under heaven." Not human wisdom in general, which comes afterwards (
Eccl 2:12, &c.), but laborious enquiries into, and speculations about, the works of men; for example, political science. As man is doomed to get his bread, so his knowledge, by the sweat of his brow (
Gen 3:19) [GILL].
exercised--that is, disciplined; literally, "that they may thereby chastise, or humble themselves."
14 The reason is here given why investigation into man's "works" is only "sore travail" (
Eccl 1:13); namely, because all man's ways are vain (
Eccl 1:18) and cannot be mended (
Eccl 1:15).
vexation of--"a preying upon"
the Spirit--MAURER translates; "the pursuit of wind," as in
Eccl 5:16;
Hos 12:1, "Ephraim feedeth on wind." But old versions support the English Version.
15 Investigation (
Eccl 1:13) into human ways is vain labor, for they are hopelessly "crooked" and "cannot be made straight" by it (
Eccl 7:13). God, the chief good, alone can do this (
Isa 40:4;
Isa 45:2).
wanting-- (
Dan 5:27).
numbered--so as to make a complete number; so equivalent to "supplied" [MAURER]. Or, rather, man's state is utterly wanting; and that which is wholly defective cannot be numbered or calculated. The investigator thinks he can draw up, in accurate numbers, statistics of man's wants; but these, including the defects in the investigator's labor, are not partial, but total.
16 communed with . . . heart-- (
Gen 24:45).
come to great estate--Rather, "I have magnified and gotten" (literally, "added," increased), &c.
all . . . before me in Jerusalem--namely, the priests, judges, and two kings that preceded Solomon. His wisdom exceeded that of all before Jesus Christ, the antitypical Koheleth, or "Gatherer of men," (
Luke 13:34), and "Wisdom" incarnate (
Matt 11:19;
Matt 12:42).
had . . . experience--literally, "had seen" (
Jer 2:31). Contrast with this glorying in worldly wisdom (
Jer 9:23-
Jer 9:24).
17 wisdom . . . madness--that is, their effects, the works of human wisdom and folly respectively. "Madness," literally, "vaunting extravagance";
Eccl 2:12;
Eccl 7:25, &c., support English Version rather than DATHE, "splendid matters." "Folly" is read by English Version with some manuscripts, instead of the present Hebrew text, "prudence." If Hebrew be retained, understand "prudence," falsely so called (
1Tim 6:20), "craft" (
Dan 8:25).
18 wisdom . . . knowledge--not in general, for wisdom, &c., are most excellent in their place; but speculative knowledge of man's ways (
Eccl 1:13,
Eccl 1:17), which, the farther it goes, gives one the more pain to find how "crooked" and "wanting" they are (
Eccl 1:15;
Eccl 12:12).
He next tries pleasure and luxury, retaining however, his worldly "wisdom" (
Eccl 3:9), but all proves "vanity" in respect to the chief good.